AUSTIN – More than 1,000 Texas fifth and sixth graders participated in the Red Ribbon Rally kickoff event at the State Capitol this afternoon. The rally is the statewide kickoff to Red Ribbon Week, the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the United States, reaching millions of students nationwide. Supported by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the event is an opportunity to educate students and the public through activities, prevention messages and commitments to live drug free. The rally focused on Texas prevention priorities, which include prevention…Read More

Voters residing in Denton ISD’s 17 communities overwhelmingly approved a Tax Ratification Election (TRE) to keep local tax dollars for public education local and increase funds the district receives from the state. With 100 percent of the precincts reported, voters approved the TRE by a staggering 80 percent. A total of 2,159 votes were cast in the election, with those in favor of the TRE equaling 1,733. “This is a great thing for our teachers and staff, and I believe, is a reflection of the work they put in each…Read More

AUSTIN, TX — In fiscal 2017, the Texas Comptroller’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) made 82 arrests, filed 156 felony charges with prosecutors and secured 109 felony indictments against tax cheats trying to defraud Texas taxpayers. Many of the arrests were related to suspects evading or attempting to evade paying tax on motor fuel. In all, CID’s efforts led to the recovery of more than $280,000 in taxes and court-ordered restitution to the state through the end of the fiscal year. “Every tax dollar pilfered from state coffers is a dollar…Read More

Denton Main Street Association presents its third fall season of the Twilight Tunes Fall Series every Sunday this October. The additional season of the free concert series was started in October of 2015 to bring more live music by local musicians to Downtown Denton. The Fall Tunes Series will run every Sunday afternoon in October from 4:30 to 6 pm on the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square lawn on the Locust Street side. Join the fun on Sunday afternoons. Admission is FREE . Bring your friends and family, get a meal-to-go from one of the many downtown eateries, bring a blanket or chairs, and enjoy a lazy afternoon of great live music before the work week begins. The Fall Series offers various…Read More

FRISCO, TX Frisco Square Property Owners Association and NBC5, proudly present Christmas in the Square at Frisco Square, which opens with Skate the Square on November 18, 2017 and continues through January 3, 2018. Christmas in the Square Light Show will be open nightly from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm – January 1, 2018. Again this year! Due to the overwhelming popularity and growth, Frisco Square Property Owners Association is offering big and small businesses; non-profits and those with a creative holiday flare the opportunity to have a 10’ x 10’ booth during the event night, December 16, 2017. We suggest those with a special holiday give away, game, treat or performance, to visit www.friscosquare.com/cits to fill out an application…Read More

DENTON, TX – Cargo Bike startup Urban Tribe Cargo Bicycles have officially launched their website www.urbantribecargobicycles.com. Urban Tribe will be building cargo bikes locally in Denton, TX in order to ship nationwide. The Danish-inspired family cargo bike design is one of the first of its kind to be sold in the United States. The idea for the business came during a family trip to Copenhagen, Denmark. Commonly known as the Bicycle Capital of the World, 50% of Copenhagen residents commute by bike on a daily basis on the city’s 250 miles of bike lanes. Aaron Powell, Urban Tribe founder observed “Not only were there no SUVs on the road, there were large three-wheeled cargo bikes everywhere that were transporting kids…Read More

PLANO, Texas – Sept. 20, 2017 – The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) has been recognized with a global excellence award for social responsibility from the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) for its “Red Thumb” anti-texting-and-driving efforts. IBTTA, the largest worldwide tolling association, describes the award winners as “revolutionizing mobility for drivers around the globe by implementing cutting-edge solutions to 21st century transportation challenges.” “Safety is NTTA’s top priority,” NTTA board Chairman Kenneth Barr said. “We are proud to be recognized for our efforts to help end distracted driving and we hope this award convinces others to put down the phone and drive.” Driving distractions fall into three fundamental categories: visual (eyes off the road), manual (hands off…Read More

(AUSTIN) — Texas policymakers filed and deliberated thousands of bills during the regular session of the Texas Legislature. More than 1,200 bills became law, including Senate Bill 1, which will fund the state government operations for the next two years. The 2018-19 biennial budget was widely regarded as a significant challenge for legislators, in part because the state’s finances looked tight in January. In the latest issue of Fiscal Notes, we review how lawmakers overcame those challenges and focus on new laws that concern state finances and the Comptroller’s office…Read More

AUSTIN – As part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s charge to the Tri-Agency Partners to design a workforce response to support communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey, leaders from the three agencies will hold a regional forum to discuss disaster recovery and rebuilding with Corpus Christi-area stakeholders on Sept. 20 at the Solomon P. Ortiz International Center. The Tri-Agency Partners will meet with area employers, chambers of commerce, economic development corporations, local workforce development boards, independent school districts, community colleges, universities, non-profit organizations, industry representatives and other community stakeholders. Texas Workforce Commission Chairman…Read More